Container for hydraulic medium supply

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a container for supplying pressure fluid to a master cylinder of a hydraulic motor vehicle brake system. The container includes a filling reservoir ( 2,29 ) arranged at a first level ( 14,45 ) and including a fill hole ( 15,31 ) and a discharge opening ( 16,32 ), a main reservoir ( 3,30 ) arranged at a second level ( 19,46 ) and including an inlet opening ( 35, 44  and discharge openings ( 47,48 ), as well as a device  8  for monitoring the container&#39;s state of filling, with the first level ( 14,45 ) being disposed above the second level ( 19,46 ), and the filling reservoir ( 2,29 ) and the main reservoir ( 3,30 ) being interconnected. A device ( 17,33 ) for filling the main reservoir is integrated with the container and includes one or more channels ( 18,34 ).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A container for supplying pressure fluid to a master cylinder of a hydraulic motor vehicle brake system, which comprises a filling reservoir arranged on a first level and including a fill hole and a discharge opening, a main reservoir arranged on a second level and including an inlet opening and discharge openings, as well as a device for monitoring the container's state of filling, with the first level being disposed above the second level, and the filling reservoir and the main reservoir being interconnected.

A container of this type is disclosed in EP 1 019 272 B1. The arrangement needs improvement in particular with respect to its installation capability at the vehicle manufacturer's plant.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved container for the pressure fluid supply.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that a means for filling the main reservoir is integrated in the container and includes one or more channels, with the result that the exchange of air between the reservoirs is improved.

The container has an integral design in a favorable improvement of the invention. This will improve the assembly at the vehicle manufacturer's plant.

The channels include a bottom wall in order to isolate the pressure fluid of the main reservoir from the filling reservoir in extreme positions of the motor vehicle occurring, for example, in intensive brake operations, and further in order to prevent the escape of pressure fluid through a container cover that closes the fill hole.

The first filling of pressure fluid into the brake system is carried out by a machine at the vehicle manufacturer's plant. To this end, a filler cap is fitted to the container, and the brake system is filled with pressure fluid after evacuation. With a projection being shaped at the container, the container is supported on the master cylinder in order to accommodate the forces which develop in the first filling operation and are caused by the fitment of the filler cap and the subsequent machining operation.

According to a favorable embodiment of the invention, a pressure fluid supply line and a pressure fluid return line for component parts of an electrohydraulic brake system (EHB) are formed at the container. An electrohydraulic brake system (EHB) concerns an electronically controlled system, the function and components of which are generally known in the art.

According to another preferred embodiment, the main reservoir is subdivided into several compartments being interconnected by means of openings. The two compartments which are associated with the pressure chambers of the master cylinder are designed in such a fashion that in the case of pressure fluid loss in one compartment, a defined residual volume still prevails in the second compartment.

It is possible to use the invention in principally all brake systems, while it is especially suited for electrohydraulic brake systems (EHB).

BRIEF DESCRITPION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be explained in the following by way of the accompanying drawings showing embodiments for an electrohydraulic brake system. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a container of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a rear view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a cross-section of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows another cross-section of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of a container of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a container 1 of the invention. Container 1 comprises a filling reservoir 2 and a main reservoir 3 feeding two pressure fluid chambers of a master cylinder (not shown) by way of two ports 4, 5. The container is connected to the master cylinder by means of the ports 4, 5 in a leakproof manner. Further, the container is secured by means of a fixing element by way of fixing attachments 6 at the master cylinder. In order to be able to better accommodate the forces that develop in the first filling operation, a projection 7 is provided on the side of the container 1 facing the master cylinder and bears against the housing of the master cylinder. A device 8 for monitoring the container's state of filling, whose component parts are partly apparent from a second embodiment according to FIG. 5, is composed of generally known component parts such a contact 9 and a float 10. The driver of the motor vehicle is e.g. warned by means of a warning lamp if the pressure fluid level in the container drops below a predetermined minimum.

In order to supply pressure fluid to the master cylinder and the components of an electrohydraulic brake system (EHB) such as a pump, the main reservoir 3 is subdivided into several compartments. The subdivision of the compartments is described in detail in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

The container 1 is made in an injection-molding operation. Two housing shells are die-cast and interconnected by means of a melting process.

FIG. 2 shows a rear view of the embodiment described in FIG. 1. In order to feed a pump with the necessary pressure fluid, a compartment 11 of the main reservoir 3 extends on this rearward side of the container 1 beyond the ports 4, 5. Shaped at the compartment 11 is a pressure fluid supply line 12 feeding the pump with pressure fluid. The filling reservoir 2 has a pressure fluid return line 13 through which pressure fluid out of the brake system is supplied to the container again.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of container 1 described in FIGS. 1 and 2. The filling reservoir 2 is arranged on a first level 14 and is furnished with a fill hole 15 and a discharge opening 16 adjacent to which is a means 17 for filling the main reservoir 3. Means 17 is formed of two parallel channels 18 connecting the filling reservoir 2 to the main reservoir 3 and, thus, allowing the filling of the main reservoir 3 through the inlet opening 44.

The main reservoir 3 is disposed on a second level 19 that is arranged below the level 14, with the term ‘level’ referring to the spatial arrangement of the reservoirs rather than to the state of filling with pressure fluid. The result is that the pressure fluid can propagate from the filling reservoir 2 through the channels 18 into the main reservoir 3 which consists of several compartments. The two pressure chambers of the master cylinder are fed by way of a first compartment 20 with a discharge opening 47 and a second compartment 21 with a discharge opening 48. The float 10 and the contact 9 of the device 8 are arranged in another compartment 22 for monitoring the container's state of filling. As can be seen from FIG. 4, the compartments 20, 21, 22 are interconnected by way of openings 23 in order to ensure a balance of the pressure fluid between the compartments and, thus, indicate a pressure fluid loss in a compartment by way of the device 8. Compartments 11 and 22 are also interconnected by openings (not shown). In order to safeguard the exchange of air between the compartments 11, 20, 21, 22 of the main reservoir 3 and the filling reservoir 2, an opening 25 is provided in the wall 24 which separates the compartments 21 and 11 from each other.

A bottom wall 26 of the channels 18 can be seen from FIG. 3 representing additionally the top boundary of the main reservoir 3 in the area of the channels 18. In an extreme position of the motor vehicle, such as a major deceleration, the wall isolates the pressure fluid of the main reservoir 3 from the pressure fluid of the filling reservoir 2 and the channels 18. A proper supply of brake fluid to the brake circuit is thus also ensured in such an extreme position.

To prevent the escape of pressure fluid through a container cover 27 in the event of intensive braking, accelerating or cornering maneuvers, the fill hole 15 is provided centrally on the filling reservoir 2.

As can be seen in FIG. 4, partitions 28 are arranged in the container 1 for reinforcing the container 1.

FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of a container 1 of the invention which comprises a filling reservoir 29 arranged at a level 45 and a main reservoir 30 arranged at a level 46. The volume of the filling reservoir 29 is small compared to the volume of the main reservoir 30. The filling reservoir 29 has a fill hole 31 and a discharge opening 32 succeeding which is a means 33 for filling the main reservoir 30. The pressure fluid is supplied to the main reservoir 30 by way of the means 33, being configured as channel 34, through the inlet opening 35. A wall 36 isolates the main reservoir 30 from the channel 34 and separates the pressure fluid of the main reservoir 30 from the channel 34 and the filling reservoir 29 in the event of intensive braking. Pressure fluid is thus prevented from propagating through the container cover 27 into the engine compartment.

The main reservoir 30 is composed of three compartments 37, 38, 39. A pump is e.g. fed through the compartment 37 and a pressure fluid supply line 40 shaped at the bottom end. The compartments 38 and 39, which are isolated by a wall 41, feed the pressure chambers of the master cylinder through the ports 4 and 5. The pressure fluid return line 42 is also provided at the main reservoir 30 in this embodiment. As has been described in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the compartments 37, 38, 39 are also interconnected through openings 43 in order to ensure a balance of the pressure fluid between the compartments 38, 39 of the master cylinder and the compartment 37.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   1 container -   2 filling reservoir -   3 main reservoir -   4 port -   5 port -   6 fixing attachment -   7 projection -   8 device -   9 contact -   10 float -   11 compartment -   12 pressure fluid supply line -   13 pressure fluid return line -   14 level -   15 fill hole -   16 discharge opening -   17 means -   18 channel -   19 level -   20 compartment -   21 compartment -   22 compartment -   23 opening -   24 wall -   25 opening -   26 wall -   27 container cover -   28 partition -   29 filling reservoir -   30 main reservoir -   31 fill hole -   32 discharge opening -   33 means -   34 channel -   35 inlet opening -   36 wall -   37 compartment -   38 compartment -   39 compartment -   40 pressure fluid supply line -   41 wall -   42 pressure fluid return line -   43 opening -   44 inlet opening -   45 level -   46 level -   47 discharge opening -   48 discharge opening 

1-6. (canceled)
 7. A container for supplying pressure fluid to a master cylinder of a hydraulic motor vehicle brake system, the container comprising: a filling reservoir, arranged at a first level, including a fill hole and a discharge opening; a main reservoir, arranged at a second level, including an inlet opening and discharge openings; a device (8) for monitoring a fluid level of the container, with the first level being disposed above the second level, and the filling reservoir and the main reservoir being interconnected; and a filling device for filling the main reservoir, wherein the filling device is integrated in the container and includes one or more channels.
 8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the container (1) has an integral design.
 9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the channel includes a bottom wall and the wall isolates the pressure fluid of the main reservoir from the channel and the filling reservoir in extreme positions of the motor vehicle.
 10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the container includes a projection and the projection is supported on a master cylinder of the motor vehicle.
 11. The device according to claim 10, wherein a pressure fluid supply line and a pressure fluid return line for component parts of an electrohydraulic brake system are formed at the container.
 12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the main reservoir is subdivided into two or more compartments and the two or more compartments are interconnected by means of openings. 